New Surroundings
by PaiigeCourtneyy
Summary: IN A REVIEWING STAGE. After Edward leaves Bella, Charlie sends her to live with his friends in England, who oh so happpen to be the Mafloys. So what happens when sparks start flying when she meets their handsome son Draco? Will she open up to him? Review, all human.
1. Chapter 1

**BPOV**

* * *

I sat and watched my father pace in front of the table at which I was sat eating my breakfast. I'd been chewing these cornflakes for what seemed like an eternity; they'd now turned into mush. I forced myself to swallow them, almost making myself sick.

"Right; that's it, Bella." Finally, he had spoken. I placed my spoon down and stared at him, my brown eyes without a flicker of life. I had been like this for months; ever since _they_ had left. My heart ached just thinking about them, my left arm reacted instantly and hugged my chest, as if I was trying to stop myself from falling apart.

But I couldn't do that; he'd ripped so much from me the moment he left me alone in the damp dark woods. _Stop, Bella, stop! _I forced my mind to block out those memories, lock them away in a chest behind a door in the corner of my mind, never to be opened.

"I can't take you being like this anymore," Charlie's stern voice brought me out of my daydreams.

I was confused; what did he mean? Was he sending me back to Renee? And me being like _what?_ I know I haven't exactly been normal or active these last few months, but I was trying. There was some life left in me, wasn't there?!

"I'm sending you to live with some friends of mine, in England." He sighed as he said this. It took a few slow seconds for me to realise what he was saying.

I was leaving Forks.

I started hyperventilating; the thought of me leaving where my fairy tale had begun and ended made me feel even worse than ever.

When I calmed down, Charlie dropped yet another bomb on me. "You'll be leaving tomorrow, around 10 A.M. The flight is at 1:30 P.M." Oh great, I was flying. I slowly trudged up to my room to find a black case lying on my bed. Oh, so he had this all planned out, did he? I sighed and started packing all my clothes.

Of course everything would fit; I'd practically thrown everything out after...

I woke up to the screaming sound of my alarm at 6:30 A.M. the next morning. It was already light outside and the sun was shining through my curtains. I sat up, stretched and rubbed my eyes.

Yawning, I realised that I'd had no nightmare. Strange. Usually I'd have woken up screaming, unable to stop myself.

Maybe it was the thought of going somewhere knew that had prevented me from having a nightmare.

In some ways I was relieved to be leaving Forks, maybe it would help clear up my mind and focus on other things. Set me free a bit.

But then I was sad, leaving behind the friends I'd made, but to be honest I've probably lost them now as I've basically spent the last few months as a zombie. I sighed and finally got out of my warm bed for what was most likely going to be the last time.

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**So this was originally published in Dec. 2009, and now on the 13****th**** Aug. 2013, I have started reviewing all the chapters – just changing the format of them and fixing any errors I come across.**


	2. Chapter 2

**BPOV**

I sat staring out the window of my father's police car as he drove into Seattle. Rain drops were splattering against the window, which was nothing knew as Forks was like one of the most rainest places _ever. _I watched as we passed forests, my eyes searching to see if I was lucky enough to see some of the brown bears that had been spotted recently. I didn't ever have much luck, I was pretty much a danger magnet. I looked ahead as Charlie pulled into a car parking space. Next thing Iheard was the door slamming and him walking round to the boot of his car and unloading my suitcase. I stepped out of the car, put the hood of my raincoat up and walked to where Charlie was standing. I took the suitcase by its handle and started walking towards the entrance to the airport. A few minutes later we were lining up to get the tickets. I noticed he only bought one. I frowned. "You're not coming?" He handed my my ticket and shook his head. My father had never been a man of many words. Oh great. I was going to a family I didn't even know and probably didn't want me. I was angry, but never the less I gave Charlie a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Hurry up, kid. Don't wanna miss your flight." He whispered in my ear as I hugged him. I stepped back and waved before heading off to the terminal where the plane I was going on was. I turned round to wave one last time to see a glistening tear trickle slowly down his face. I smiled weakly and mouthed; 'I'll be okay.' before turning round and heading onto the plane.

**9 Hours Later**

I yawned as I walked along the marble floor at the London airport. I'd gotted hardly any sleep on the plane as unfortunately I was in front of this little boy who thought it was amusing to keep kicking the back of my chair. Just my luck aswell. I laughed at myself for thinking the plane ride would go well. Nothing I ever did went well. I looked round to see people getting collected by families and friends. I sighed; Charlie hadn't told me how I was getting where ever I was going. I looked round once more and spotted my name on a piece of card. Isabella Swan. I shuddered; I hated Isabella. I guessed this was the family I was staying with then. I walked over to them, a fake smile of my face. Both the woman and the man had long blonde hair. Both long aswell, longer than mine. He had a very fancy looking walking stick, it had a silver serpent's head on the top with ruby red eyes. Probably real rubies. They looked very wealthy. The woman spoke first,

"Isabella Swan?" She looked at me and I nodded.

"Yes, but I prefer Bella, if you don't mind." She nodded and smiled,

"Of course, Is- Bella. Welcome." I smiled sweetly and noticed the man was looking at me up and down; it made me feel self concious. I looked in his eyes and noticed they were a blue grey colour. He didn't smile, but he _did_ off me his hand to shake. I shook it ad noticed that he was wearing black leather gloves. This made me curious; if he was cold surely he would have a scarf on aswell?

"Yes, welcome Bella. I'm Lucius Malfoy, and my wife, Narcissa." His voice was cold, just as I expected it to be. He turned and walked towards the exit without another word. Narcissa smiled slightly and folloed suit, leaving me to trail behind pulling my suitcase. _Charming!_ I thought. _No help then! _It was dark outside; if I was right then it was probably about 4:30 in the morning. I followed them to a very slick black limo. 'WOW', I mouthed. They were _definetely_ rich. A man with grey hair came out of the driver's seat, he was probably around 50, maybe 60, and opened the door for me before taking my suitcase and putting it in the trunk of the limo. I got in carefully, trying not to scratch anything, and he shut the door behind me, I nodded and said 'Thank-you'. Mr. & Mrs. Malfoy got into the front part of the limo. Mr. Malfoy snapped his fingers.

"To the house, Jeff." And with that, the engine started and we were driving off to whereever was going to be my new home.


	3. Chapter 3 DPOV

**DPOV**

_*beep! beep!*_ I yawned and hit the 'off' button on my alarm, my eyes still closed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, i looked at my clock. It was 6:03 AM. My mother and father would be home soon with the girl. I got out of bed and walked across to my window, still half asleep. The sky was an ambery red colour; the sun just rising in the distance. I sighed and walked into my ensuite bathroom, shutting the door behind me. Looking at the mirror above my sink, I noticed the dark purple rings underneath my eyes. Gawd, I was so tired. I splashed water over my face before turning the shower on and stepping inside, the cold water falling all over me.

I don't know how long i stayed in my room, sat on my bed, guitar in hand, staring at the blank sheet of music next to me, trying to think of something to write. I sighed; I'd been trying unsuccesfully to write a song for weeks, but I had no inspiration... Inspiration. That was _exactly_ what I needed. And the girl my parent's were bringing home today would be perfect. I laughed out loud at the new thought in my head. My stomach grumbled; I still hadn't had breakfast. I jumped off my bed and headed for the door. As soon as my hand touched the silver door handle encrusted with a glistening blood red ruby, my ears detected the crunching sound of gravel as tyre's ran over it. I froze; maybe I would wait a while for breakfast. Or just call one of the servants up once they've arrived. I walked slowly to my window, staring at my parents getting out of the _very _valuble limo. I didn''t know what she looked like; or what her name was. But for some reason I pictured a very nerdy looking girl. I snorted, probably one of those computer club geeks. Round glasses, black eyes, brown hair, goofy laugh, tucked in shirt, backpack, part of the chess team and of course, very embarrassing to be out in public with. Well, it wasn't like _I'd_ be seen with her, anyway. Nor would my parents, if they had any respect for themselves or me. Jeff opened the door for her before going to the trunk and retrieving her suitcases. She stepped out slowly. My imaginative thoughts about her earlier had been completely wrong. It was a good job she couldn't see me staring at her; my window was made of special glass that allowed me too see through in pefect quality but for no outsiders to see in without a lot of blurring fuzziness, my mouth was haning open in shock. Brunette hair down to her waist, slim figure. Wow. She was the most beautifullest person I had ever seen in my entire life. And I'd seen a lot of beautiful women before; but none as pretty as her. I watched her walk gracefully, even though she stumbled on some of the gravel, and insist on carrying her suitcase along with the backpack on her back. She obviously didn't like to be taken care of. An independent woman. Just my type. I went and lay on my bed, staring at the cieling, picturing her face in my mind. I didn't manage to see what colour her eyes were, but I figured they must either be green, or brown. Either one was pretty. I could hear someone coming up the stairs. I held my breath as the foot steps neared my room; hoping it would be the girl. They knocked on the door. My voice just managed to say the words 'come in'. I was nearly hyperventilating, and I was actually glad when it turned out to be Hermes, our main waiter. I sat up and faced him when I saw who it was, hoping my face didn't look too disturbed.

"Master Malfoy, sir, your mother and father are waiting for you down stairs in the hall." He said, bowing before backing out of my room and shutting the door behind him. I heard his hurried foot steps go all the way back down the stairs and into the kitchen. I sighed and stood up, checking my reflection in the mirror, I didn't want to look scruffy for the first meeting. I smirked; I wasn't going to g all mushy over her, I would play hard to get, maybe with a few _very_ subtle hints...

I looked over the top of the grand stairs before actually going down. The first thing I noticed was the out-of-place looking raincoat; a light blue in with my mothers and fathers black coats on our ancient coat hanger, property of my late great great great great great grandfather. Her brown hair was almost straight, reaching her waist, and curling into itself at the end, almost as if trying to protect itself. Her baby pink wooly top clung to her slim figure, her faded jeanes held up by a thin dark blue belt. She was looking down at her shoes, a pair of red Converse, biting her lip. I walked slowly down the stair case, she looked up at me briefly before resuming her I'm-nervous-and-really-don't-want-to-be-here stance. I raised my eyebrows at my father, he shrugged. Mother was the first to speak,

"Draco, this Isabella," She glanced at my mother when she said her name, and and my mum seemed to smile _apologetically_. "Sorry, who prefers to be simply called Bella. Bella, this is my son Draco." I nodded at her, and she looked at me fearfully, avoiding my eyes. I saw that they were a beautiful chocolate colour. I wondered what was going on in her head. I imagined that there was a lot of questons, like- _"What am I doing here?"_ and _"What should I do?". _I gave her a look which I hoped to be reassuring, and a little bit of kindness, but judging by the reaction on her face, it came out quite the opposite; hard, cold and unfeeling. I'd never been one to show my emotions to people. Especially not girls. Father cleared his throat before speaking;

"Isabella has came from Forks, Washington, on request from her father, Charlie Swan, who is a dear old friend of mine." He glanced toward a picture of him as a young boy with a fellow child around his age, who I was guessing was Isabella's father. He had the same brown, chocolate coloured eyes as her. Mother stepped forward and placed a hand on Isabella's shoulder;

"Right, well I'll give you a tour of the house now." She nodded and followed my mother through the double doors into the kitchen. Father nodded at me before following. I turned and trudged slowly up the staircase and back into my room, flopping on my bed and sighing loudly.


	4. Chapter 3 BPOV

**Chapter 3 - BPOV**

Minutes passed. Slowly. Quietly. Through the countryside, round twisting lanes. I wondered idly how a limo as big as this managed to get round all the corners. I shrugged it off, though, this was the least of my worries. I was scared. Going to their house. Living as part of their lives. Change unnerved me. Too much.

Finally, we arrived. It was big. Very big. Gravel drive, the stones a light biege colour. I gulped, and looked around. Jeff got out of the drivers seat at the front and opened my door for me. "Thanks," I mumbled. He went to retrieve my bags from the trunk. I stepped out slowly and cautiously, careful not to scratch anything. Mr and Mrs. Malfoy were already walking towards the large double wooden front doors that had a marble outline. I felt guilty having Jeff carry my bags, so I walked over to him. I stumbled on some of the gravel on the way, and insisted on carrying my bags myself; afterall, they were mine. "But Miss Swan, it's my duty to serve the Malfoy's, and you too." I shook my head at him.

"I really don't care, I just don't want to be taken care of or anything, Sorry. You shouldn't have to carry my bags." I looked up at one of the windows. It looked like there was something there. A Pale figure. But I couldn't tell; the glass was too fuzzy. Perhaps it was their son. I slung my back onto my back, and followed Jeff up the drive and through the front doors.

The hall was magnificent. Large, light and open. The floor was black and white tiles, polished and sparkling. I felt a stab of jelousy. Jeff took my light blue rain coat off me, and hung it up next to Mr and Mrs. Malfoy's black coats on an ancient coat hanger. It looked odd; the oddest thing in this room, maybe even this house, and I liked it. It put a tiny half smile on my face. Atleast something here in my new life would be the same as my old one back in Forks with Charlie. It was quiet in the room. An awkward atmosphere. The voice inside my head just kept repeating that word, as if maybe, if it was aid enough, then it would go away. I highly doubted it, but didn't shut the voice up. Instead, I looked at the floor. My hair falling like a chocolate curtain around my face and I bit my bottom lip. I heard footsteps walking slowly down the staircase, which I noticed, was too made of marble. I looked up to see who it was, and presumed it must have been there son. I went back to staring at the floor. The boy looked around my age, perhaps older, with blonde hair, like his parents, and blue eyes. _Clear_ blue eyes. Like the sky, on a beautiful summer's day... _Stop it, Isabella! _But I couldn't. Before my mind could do anything about it, my imaginaition had starting rolling. I imagined him and me, sat on the edge of a grassy sand dune on a beach somewhere in the sun, alone. Laughing, playing in the sand, _flirting_... I could feel my cheeks getting warmer. I was so glad my eyes were still glued to the floor.

Mrs. Malfoy was the first to speak. But she was talking to her son. "Draco," what an odd name... "this is Isabella." I glanced up at her when she said my full name; I'd already explained ot her that I prefered Bella. She understood my look and corrected herself, smiling apologetically at me. "Sorry, who prefers to be simply called Bella. Bella, this is my son Draco." I looked at him, avoiding his eyes, for I was certain looking into them would do me no good at all in this battle I was trying so hard to not fight. He nodded at me. Typical of a teenage boy. Especially a wealthy one. His facial expression wasn't pleasant. It looked cold, hard and unfeeling. Like it had been frozen like that in a freezer. My eyes widened at the hostility that seemed to be coming from him. Mr. Malfoy cleared his throat, and I was thankful of him for breaking up the tense atmosphere around us.

"Isabella has come from Forks, Washington," _Well done, Captain Obvious, you know where I'm from and what not to call me_, I thought to myself. "On request of her father, Charlie Swan, a dear old friend of mine." He looked at a picture of, presumingly, himself as a young boy, with someone who I'm assuming was my father. My dad and I had the same eye colour. That was a major give away that it was him. Mrs. Malfoy stepped towards me and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Right, well I'll give you a tour of the house now." I nodded and followed her through the set of double doors to the left of me. Mr. Malfoy followed, and I noticed Draco had started going back upstairs.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - BPOV.

My legs were were aching by the time the full tour had finished. So many stairs, and so many rooms. Typically, a majority of the rooms were extremely large, and all seemed to have a simple colour scheme. Mainly black and white, but green's, gold's and royal blue's could be seen around the place.

The last room of the house tour was of course, my bedroom. Unfortunately for me, it was across the hall from Draco's. I sighed; he didn't seem to be too fond to have me here, and it certainly would not do my over active imagination any good. The good thing though, I suppose, was the fact that we both had en-suites inside our rooms, along with the larger bathroom inbetween our two rooms, so we didn't have to worry about running into each other in a situation like us both needing the bathroom simultaneoulsy. Unless of course we wanted to take a bath. But I was perfectly happy with the one person only sized shower in my new room.

A king sized wooden four poster bed was placed in the middle of the room. Covering it was a plain dark green duvet, with a deep purple satin cover at the end of the bed. The best part by far of it, though, was of course the three black fluffy pillows on top of the normal ones. That and the curtains tied to each of the four posts, allowing me my privacy while sleeping if I wished. Which confused me, like, were they expecting some creep to just wander into my room at night and watch me while I slept? Ugh. Wait. Maybe Draco would? No, that's jsut creepy. Get rid of that thought Bella, now! I shook my head clear of it. Looking around, I noticed I'd left my bags downstairs in the hall. Groaning, because this meant several trips up and down all the stairs with them, I walked over to the door and opened it. I was not expecting to see anyone there, and I think the shock was pretty evident on my face as it was on his. And then his turned to amusement. _Good going Bella!_ He stood there, in his blonde and blue eyed beauty, with his fist raised in the air as though it was about to knock on my door. Maybe it was. Or maybe he had been waiting there like that so as soon as I opened the door, he could go BAM! and punch me in the face. I really hoped that wasn't the case, it didn't seem to be? Oh god. I could feel myself going red, so I looked to the ground, naturally. I noticed one of my bags was next to his feet. Huh? I looked up at him, confused now. His face had returned to the same cold heartless one as earlier. "My mother told me I should help you carry your bags upstairs, and that I wasn't allowed to take no for an answer." He snapped coldy and then glared at me, I cringed inwardly. Ouch. I blinked, a bit startled by the hostility that was so evidently pouring off of him.

"Uh, alright then, I guess." Shaking my head, I wondered why she'd sent him and not the butler guy. I brushed past him and made my way down the stairs. Oh yeah, I touched him. BOOYAR! My skin, on his. It was warm. And kind of like a stinging sensation. But I guess that was jsut the thrill of it. I am such an adrenaline junkie. Wait, maybe the reason there's curtains around the bed (presuming he has them too) so I can't sneak into his room at night and touch him for my adrenaline fix? Probably. Looking at my bags, a thought occurred to me. Since he was being forced to help me, and I couldn't really object, I might aswell take advantage. Grabbing the lightest possible bag that I could, I carried it back upstairs, smiling. He's a man, he can carry the heavy stuff! I walked back into my room and noticed he'd just dumped my bag on bed. How charming.

We carried on lumping my bags back and forth, never speaking. Occasionally our arms would brush and I'd be filled with the same ecstatic excitement as before. Also, if a bag was too heavy, i'd hear him grunt and stifle a giggle. On one occasion i didn't quite stifle it, and tried to turn into coughing, which failed... epicly. Yeah he wasn't too pleased about that. When we finished, (Hooray, I could unpack!) we kind of stood there for a moment staring at each other... Awkward, because I was sure I was as red as a tomatoe. I gulped. "Uh, yeah. Thanks." I said quietly. He just shrugged and walked out, shutting the door behind him. Nice. I groaned, why am I such a twat? Getting my alarm clock out of my bag and setting it on the bedside table, I noticed the time was 11:58 PM. Holy, that had gone fast! It was probably the tour. That stuff was long!

A brush of my teeth later and I was wearing my pyjama's, lying in bed. It felt so cold, so unused. Curling up into a ball, I turned the lamp off and waited patiently to sleep.


	6. Chapter 5 BPOV

I didn't know where I was when I woke the next morning. Sitting up in the early morning hours, everything looked so different, and I thought, with absolute panic, that I'd been sleep walking and somehow managed to get into some strangers bed. Or worse, been slipped some kind of drug, and not know what happened to me the entire night. Then it all dawned on me. I was at the Malfoy's Manor, and this was my new room, so technically speaking, this was_ home. _Though it really didn't feel like it. I groaned and flopped back down onto the bed, shying away under the covers. It felt early. Much too early for my liking.

It wasn't my intention to go back to sleep for aslong as I did, but when I re-awoke, I was lying in a scrambled mess on the floor, along with my alarm clock and skewed quilt, and it was 3:27 PM. Midday. I'd slept through breakfast, and most likely lunch too. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, _how_ was I still tired? I'd slept for about 15 hours! I sighed and stood up, sorting my quilt out back onto my bed, and the alarm back onto the bedside table. I Hadn't quite managed to unpack everything the night before, in fact I had only managed to get out the essentials (Pajama's, hair brush, tooth brush, stuff like that...) so I still had finishing that on today's agenda. Cratching the back of my neck, I scanned for the bag containing my most decent clothes. They weren't that smart looking, but I figured they'd do. Carrying my hair brush into the bathroom, I attempted to attack the 'hair' on top of my head that resembled a birds nest. Thank _God_ no one had come into my room to wake me up. Or maybe they had, and I'd jsut been too out of it to notice. I cringed at the thought, especially if they had had a camera with them at the time. Or a phone with a camera. Even worse if it was Draco! After succesfully, and frustratingly, untangling my hair, I turned and looked at the shower. And then promptly gasped. How on earth was I going to figure out how to work it? There was too many buttons to press and knobs to turn. I groaned inwardly, and starting fumbling with them all. After bressing a button that had a cute little serpant's head imprinted on, water started cascading out of the shower head, burning my arm. "Eeep!" I squeaked and retracted my arm, rubbing it. I looked around the shower, water spraying onto my clothes therefore dampening them, and saw the hot and cold switch. I turned it towards the cold until I was happy with the temperature, and nodded to myself. That wasn't too hard.

The water pounded lightly onto my skin, forming droplets here and there, and I lingered in there admittedly for longer than necessary. Stepping out all clean and fresh, I brushed my teeth. With them all clean, I put on my fresh clothes. Unlocking the bathroom door, I don't know why I locked it, but you know, it never huts to be safe, I walked back into my room and sat at the dressing table. I ruffled my hair with my towel for a few minutes, then began drumming my fingers against the table. The ever raging question burned in my mind; should I dry my hair? I started wighing out the pro's and con's.

Pro's:

- I'll look nice, well, atleast my hair will.

- It might make up for my over sleeping.

- Draco might like it.

Scratch that last one. Why would he, and why would I want him to? I gritted my teeth, and thought of the con's, hoping they would weigh out the pro's.

Con's:

- It takes more time and effort.

- I'd have to straighten it afterwards.

Unfortunately, they didn't seem to. I sighed and got to work on my hair.

45 minutes later, and I was presentable...ish. My hair was straight, I was wearing my dark red skinny's and a light blue top that had some weird mutilated horses on. I walked out of my door, and right on que, my stomach grumbled. Frowning, I tried to remember the way to the kitchen. I couldn't, I'd have to ask someone. _And Draco's the only one available here._ I added sourly. I lingered in the hall for a moment, mustering up the courage to knock. _Knock Knock. _No answer. Perhaps he'd gone out, wouldn't be surprising. Grumbling nonsense to myself, I headed down the stairs. I didn't know where I was walking, and I was pretty sure it was in circles. Unless they had the same plant pot at every corner. Just as I was about to give up and find my way back to my room, even though my stomach growled louder at this thought, I heard footsteps approaching. My heart race sped, _who could this be? _I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding when they turned the corner and I could see it wasn't any one I knew, but they were dressed in a very fine butler suit. I guessed they were a butler. Their eyes widened and his mouth parted a little he saw me, but controlled his expression as he grew nearer. I suppressed a grimace as he stopped short and bowed slightly, saying "Good afternoon, Miss Swan. It's nice to finally meet you." I nodded in response to this, not quite sure how to respond appropriately.

"Er, yes, you too, Urm..." I didn't know his name, and I think he guessed this as he smiled softly,

"Hermes."

"Right, afternoon Hermes. Er, please if it's not too much trouble, could you direct me to the kitchen? I'm a bit lost..." I trailed off, looking up hopefully at him. A small chuckled escaped his lips, and he pointed down the direction I had previously come from.

"That way, Miss Swan, turn right and it's the second door on your left." I nodded, smiling gratefully.

"Thankyou Hermes! But please, just call me Bella." I grinned and turned away, sprinting down the corridor before he had a chance to respond.

The smell of warm cookies wafted down the corridor, and it made my motuh water. They smelled so _good_! I suddenly drew nervous as I stood infront of the kitchen door. Should I knock? Of course I shouldn't, I mean, this is practically my home now. But still, it never hurt to be polite. I bit my lip, and deciding that knocking jsut wouldnt suffice, I gently pushed the door open. The smell hit me like a wave of deliciousness, it was so fresh. A woman who was stood in front of the oven whipped round to face me, a smile plastered to her face. "Afternoon, Miss Swan! My name's Hilda, and I'm the Malfoy's cook!" She greeted cheerfully, obviously taking pride in her work. Well, if the smell portayed anything of the taste, she had good reason too. It was odd how they all seemed to know my name thoug, and it made me wonder how many servants worked here. Before I had a chance to respond to Hilda, the double doors at the far end of the room swung open, and in swept Narcissa. She smiled widely as she saw me,

"Ah, Bella, darling! How lovely of you to join us at last, I was just about to send Hermes to come and get you, please come." She beckoned me over, and I smiled at Hilda before walking over to Narcissa where she put her arm around my shoulder and lead me into what appeared to be the dining room. My eyes widened as I saw the food on the table, and then I remembered, it was Sunday. Which mean Sunday dinner. The table was rather long, but we all sat huddled up one end. My seat was opposite Draco's, and I groaned internally. I took my seat, and to my relief Narcissa was next to me. Draco looked up from his plate, which he had been frowning at, at me, and I noticed something glint in his eyes.

"So I see you finally got out of bed." He sneered. I flinched at how much his voice resembled ice, and his mother scowled at him. Lucious simply folded his newspaper and said,

"Now, now, Draco." In a tone that ended it all. Nothing else was said through out the meal, for which I was glad, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Both the silence and the food. Hilda was an excellent cook, I added it to my agenda to compliment her. After dinner I silently headed back up to my room, intent on packing or finding my bearings in this place.


	7. Chapter 5 DPOV

**Chapter 5 - DPOV.**

For once, I was wide awake before my alarm went off. I had no idea why; something deep inside my mind was obviously against sleep, but what it was, I did not know. I lay there, in the silent darkness, for what felt like an eternity.

At last, faint glows of the sun began to filter through my blinds. Wasting no time, I shot out of bed and got on with my daily morning routine. Today's hunt was going to be very successful indeed, I could feel it. Without hesitation, I swaggered into my wardrobe and put on my finest hunting gear. Just as I was adjusting my bow tie in the mirror, Hermes appeared in the door frame. He gave a small bow, "You look absolutley dashing, Master Malfoy." _Yes, I do, don't I._ I smirked, finally pleased with my appearance, and walked out of the wardrobe, casually smoothing my hair. Hermes stepped aside to let me pass. "Your father told me to alert you of the arrival of Severus, sir, they are waiting for you down at the stable yard." Ah yes, _Severus_ Snape, more commonly known as Professor Snape, my science teacher. Miserable git. He was also my father's favourite hunting buddy, which meant anytime I spent hunting with my father, was also spent hunting with Professor Snape. I didn't dislike the man, much like he didn't dislike me, But I honestly couldn't sya we liked eachother, either.

"Thankyou, Hermes. I shall go down and join them right away." Hermes nodded at me, and I left him in my room to do his duties, mainly that of changing my bed sheets and tidying up after my mess.

I made my way down the stairs outside and through the gardens, down to the stables at the far end. I could see Snape and my father stood talking, all three of us dressed nearly identical. We each had a dark green blazer, jodhpurs as pure as snow and boots as black as night. The only real difference was that my father and I had the Malfoy family crest sewn onto our blazers. And I was wearing a bow tie while they just wore normal ties. They halted their conversation at my arrival, with my father greeting me with a slight nod of his head and Snape in his disapproving sounding monotone voice;

"Nice of you to join us, Draco." I smiled coldly at him in response,

"Good morning Father, Professor."

"Son," My father begain, "Has our guest awoken yet?" I shook my head, presuming he was referring to Bella.

"Guest?" Snape interrupted, coming across rather intrigued in a subject that was none of his business. But then again, it's not the first. My father nodded.

"Yes, Isabella Swan, Charlie Swan's daughter. Perhaps you remember him from school? She's came over from Forks, Washington, to, shall we say, 'recuperate'. Her stay is currently indefinite." I groaned internally. _Great_,_ she could end up staying with my family in our house for the rest of our high school years. _The word my father used to describe her stay, though, confused me a little, and I realised I had never actually been told why she was coming to live with us. I frowned, thinking of possible situations. Snape's voice broke through my concentration,

"Ready to mount, Draco?" He sneered. I looked at him, a little shocked. Unbeknownst to me, whilst I had been thinking, my father and Snape had managed to bring the horses out of their stables and ready for mount; he thrust the reins in my hands, and I quickly pushed aside all thoughts of Bella and calmbered onto the horses saddle.

The hunt was indeed a good one, just as I had imagined. Sadly no killing was made, but nevertheless, the chase was thrilling enough. Afterwards Severus said his goodbye and left, and I returned to my room seeking solitude. I paused outside of my bedroom door, wondering whether or not to knock on Bella's door, since I had neither heard nor seen any of her throughout of the morning, and it was now nearing two in the afternoon. I decided against that and proceeded into my room.

Sighing, I flopped down on my bed. For the first time in a very long time, I actually couldn't wait to be back at school, and see those 'friends' of mine. Crabbe and Goyle, they were barely intelligent enough to remember to keep breathing. And Pansy. _Ugh._ Stalker wasn't even a strong enough word for her, I dread the day she finds out my real address. It wasn't that I dislike her, she's just too 'clingy'. My train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. I cleared my throat, and the door opened. To no surprise it was Hermes, again.

"Master Malfoy, your dinner is ready." I nodded and got up off of the bed, making my way down to the dining room.

Father was already seated at the table when I arrived, just after three according to the clock above the fireplace. I could smell the Sunday roast, heightening my hunger. I'd hardly had anything to eat all day. Mother floated in not long after I had taken my seat, and sat down next to father. She smiled reassuringly at me;

"So Draco, honey, how was the hunt this morning?" I grinned,

"Excellent, Mother. Although I regret to say it's rather a disappointment that we failed to catch any." She simply brushed off those last few words, replying with:

"Ah well, not to worry, the enjoyment of the chase is the main part. What is a hunt with no fun, afterall?"

"Precisely." My father chipped in, picking up the newspaper beside him and beginning to read it. My mother looked at her watch and ticked softly before standing up,

"I shall go and find Hermes, to see what on earth is taking Isabella so long." She said, walking out of the room.

Mother returned only a few moments later, with Bella in tow. The food had arrived not moments before, and unfortunately Bella's was placed opposite mine. Better than at the side, atleast. I was frowning at my plate when she sat down, I looked up at her, slightly annoyed that I'd had to wait for her to arrive before I could begin eating.

"So I see you finally got out of bed." I sneered. She seemed to flinch at my words. Good. Father folded his newspaper and put it aside, glaring at me.

"Now, now, Draco." His tone clearly showed he ahd the last word in this house, and no more was said throughout the remainder of the meal. After the plates had been cleared, Bella excused herself and left, I guessed going back to her bedroom. I too went to leave, but father sat me back down. "Be civil, Draco." He snapped, "I will not tolerate rudeness to guests, and you should know that by now. Do you understand?" I nodded, rolling my eyes slightly. She was hardly a 'guest' is her stay was indefinite.

"Yes Father, I understand." He seemed remotely satisfied at my answer. "Can I leave now?" He nodded, and I thanked him and left.


	8. AN Please Read!

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this isn't a chapter update, I just really wanted your help.**

**I have no idea where to with this now, well I do, but I'm not sure whether to make another chap about living at the Malfoy Manor and then do one about the school, or make the school happen in the next chapter? Any ideas on what should happen next? What do you guys **_**want**_** to read? (I admit, this is bad planning on my behalf)**

**I've decided aswell that I will regularly re write each chapter from both Bella's and Draco's perspective. Not every single chapter as that may get a bit tedious if you're jsut reading the same thing over and over again, but the ones that will have some kind of importance. Like for example if you needed to know how Draco was feeling or what he did so that it contributes to a future event and makes more sense or if they were spending days apart, I mean, you'd like to know what the other was up to, wouldn't you, to see how the 'relationship' is progressing in each eye?**

**Also, thankyou SO SO much for all the positive reviews and for taking your time out to read it! It really means a lot, and I hope you continue reading and enjoying it!**

**Once again, sorry this isn't a chapter update!**

**- Paige**


	9. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hazelnholy: thankyou so much! And no the Malfoy's aren't wizards, I decided that everyone and everything in this story would be strictly muggle, just because I thought it would be an easier way to set it out :D And thanks for the idea of explaning how Charlie and Lucius became friends, I guess that would be rather interesting to explore! Also, Thank you once again to everyone who has read and reviewed! (And I am aware that the ending of this chapter literally sucks, _so_ sorry for that!)**

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**BPOV**

The week that passed was dreary. I spent many days inside the solitude of the mass library that was on the third floor. There were so many books, it was unreal. It was peaceful in there and I was only ever disturbed when Hermes came in to alert me to dinner. (Which, by the way, happened every day at _exactly_ the same time - and the food was _always_ delicious.)

It took me the whole week to be sure of my way around the manor. I got lost so many times that I stopped counting, however Draco didn't. He seemed to find it rather amusing, especially the time I managed to lock myself in the storage cupbaord.

_The corridor was dark. I ran my hand along the wall, trying to find the light switch, but to no avail. The darn thing was just no where to be found! I sighed, exasperated, and continued walking slowly, clinging to the wall as if my life depended on it. It was about half three in the morning, I was having trouble sleeping and so had decided to go for a walk. Now I was trying to find my way back to my wretched bed room. After what seemed like a mile my hands skimmed something metallic that felt like door hinges. Thank God! I found the handle and just as I pushed it down, my hip whacked against something hard. "Ouch!" I cursed under my breath, steadying the object as it wobbled. Funny, I didn't remember there being anything next to my door... Ah well, I figured, I probably just wasn't paying much attention during the daylight hours. I opened the door and stumbled inside, the temperature was unusually cold. I shut the door behind me and hear a crash something fell to the floor on the other side of the door. "Ugh." I turned and pushed the door. It wouldn't budge. I tried the handle and it was stuck. I rattled it a couple more times but still nothing happened. "Oh this is just fantastic!" I groaned inwardly. Well, atleast I'm in my bedroom, I thought. I shook my head and reach out for a light switch. I found one, flicked it on and realized that I wasn't in my bedroom. In fact, I had absolutely no idea where I was! Now I was in trouble. I realized it was a storage cupbaord of some sort, mops and brooms were hanging all along the walls along with stacks of towels and cleaning equipment. I started pounding on the door, barging it with my shoulder, but still it wouldn't open. "Hello?" I called out, doubting anyone could hear me. It was worth a try though. "Somebody? Anybody?" After about fifteen minutes of this repeated process, I eventually gave up and sank to the floor, determined to get at least a couple of hours sleep._

_When I awoke, light was filtering in through a small window in the top corner of the room. A clock hung next to it and the time read 9:27 AM. I had been stuck in this room for almost 6 hours. I stood up stretching, my joints feeling numb and cranky from their awkward sleeping position. I tried the door again, hoping it had been a dream and I had jsut wondered into here and fell asleep. I hadn't. "Now what am I going to do?" I whailed out loud. I started pacing up and down the small room, trying to figure out what to do. After what seemed like an inmeasurable period of time, I could hear faint footsteps approaching. I ran to the door and began pounding on it with my fist. "Hello! Is somebody there? I think I'm trapped!" The footsteps stopped and I waited, hoping they hadn't ignored me and walked away. I heard the heavy object gettign picked up, so instintcly I started trying the door again._

_"Hold on a sec-" A voice grunted. Too late, the door swung open and I crashed out of it and to the floor, straight onto who ever had tried to move the heavy object. Which was, now that I could see, a suit of armour on a knight's stand. I groaned, looking around. "Bella," A voice said slowly, cooly. "Would you mind, I don't know, maybe getting off of me?" It snapped. I squealed and clambered up, blushing. I recognised the voice. It was Draco. "Were you in there all night?" He asked, incredulous. I quickly shook my head._

_"N-no." I stammered. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk, and I thought it was my bedroom, but clearly it wasn't, and then when I tried to get out I couldn't, something was blocking the door. I'm sorry." My voice rushed out, barely pausing for breath. Draco simply looked at me with a bemused expression, shook his head, and walked off. I sighed. Way to leave a good impression Bella._

It was Saturday, and I woke up feeling rather refreshed. I hadn't spoke to my father Charlie all week, so I added that on my list of things to do today, which was a pretty short list. Not quite fancying breakfast, I got dressed and headed for the library, deciding to read one of my all time favourite novels, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain.

I got halfway there when a picture in a trophy case caught my eye. I scoffed at all the trophies - there was quite a lot, the trophy case took up all of the backwall along the corridor. Every single one of them was either gold or silver. Clearly, the Malfoy's took pride in nothing less than second best and showing them off to visitors. Peering through the glass, I noticed it was a picture of my dad. And Lucious. They were standing at the edge of a lake, tree's were a blurred mess behind them, both of them helping to hold up a fish that could have easily weighed more than both of their twiggly bodies put together; they must have been about 10 or 11. There was a dog behind them, looking as if it couldn't make up its mind about if it wanted to go into the lake or not. I was surprised; I mean, I knew they were friends, but I figured it was from some Law enforcement group my dad had been in before he moved to Forks, not that they had been friends from school and possibly grew up together. For some reason, I didn't quite picture Lucious as the type for being Charlie's friend.

"That was taken a very long time ago, you know." I jumped; startled. I turned around to see Lucius gazing at the picture. It looked almost as if he missed those times. His eyes flashed over me and he gave me a timid smile. We both stared at the picture in silence. I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure what would be most fitting.

Lucius eventually broke the silence. "He saved my life, once." He said quietly. I looked up at him, both curious and a little shocked. "Walk with me." It wasn't a question, but rather a command. He turned and walked off back in the direction I had come from. I had to almost jog to keep up with his long strides.

Soon, we emerged out into the vast gardens. Neither of us had said anything and the feeling was a little uncomfortable. Being the brave person that I was, I waited for Lucius to once again break the silence. "I was seven," He began. By this point, we had sat down upon a stone bench opposite a small lake. I vaguely wondered just how rich the Malfoy's actually were. "I was out for a walk with Lyra, the family dog. She was ferocious little beast, but loyal. Ever so loyal. I threw a stick for her, and she bounded after it." He smiled at the memory, and I realised that this dog put have been the cheeky looking Irish Wolfhound in the back of the picture. There was more silence as he relished in the memory and it took a moment for my brain to click that we were sat in front of the lake that they had been fishing in so many years ago.

"What happened next?" I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but I was too curious to simply fill in the blanks myself. Lucius glanced down at me, but I couldn't read his expression.

"I had seen your father many times at the local park with his father, either flying kites or model planes and every now and then feeding the ducks, but we had never spoken. My father repetitively drilled it into me that I was never to associate myself with those who I need not to. Something that I do, regrettably, enforce into Draco every now and then. He was alone that day, feeding the ducks. I remember thinking; '_What an odd sight that is, the lone boy is feeding the ducks by himself._'. Lyra began barking at the ducks, I couldn't understand why, for she had never before done that."

He paused for a moment, thinking. Even as Lucius Malfoy told his tale, he still spoke with a voice that rang with clear authority and formality. I wondered idly if he was editing the story slightly, before he began speaking once again.

"It... They... Came out of no where." Lucius' voice was no more than a dark whisper that sounded oddly pained. "One moment it was just myself, on the opposite side of the pond to Charlie and observing Lyra's ludicrous behaviour, the next, it was a stampede. Bulls, what looked like hundreds of them. Eyes as white as paper, wide, frenzied. Horns as sharp as pins. The ducks screeched and flapped their wings in a desperate attempt to flee, but all they managed to do was corrupt my vision, I couldn't see anything but their damn feathers..." I listened intently, hanging off the edge of my seat as I watched Lucius carefully. He had closed his eyes; it was as if they had been glued shut; they didn't even re-open when he continued speaking.

"There was chaos, lots of chaos, and myself, amongst it all. Something heavy squashed both my feet and I fell backwards, straight into the pond. I couldn't swim; honestly, I had never even been swimming before and so I kept choking on the water, with my hands only just managing to flail above the surface."

There was a short pause while I waited with baited breath for the next part.

"Then everything started fading and I was vaguely aware that I was being pulled to the surface. I regained conciousness about an hour later, Charlie and his father were peering down at me with anxious expressions. They explained what had happened, took me back to my home - here - and departed." Lucius gave me small smile. "There are certain things, Isabella, that people can not go through without becoming great friends - like saving a life, for instance." I smiled in response, absorbing the story in. I was beginning to like Lucius, and this was definately an event that I'd have liked to hear from my father.

We continued to sit on the bench in silence for what seemed like hours.

A distant chime echoed through the grounds, most likely coming from the kitchen. Lucius looked at me once more,

"Dinner shall almost be ready. Go freshen up." He waved once towards the house and turned back away, seeming to stare into something I couldn't see. Most likely another memory. I stood up and obeyed, walking slowly back into the house. I stopped once whilst passing a window to see that Lucius had not moved a single inch from his spot on the hard bench.

Sighing, I shook my head turned, continuing to walk straight into some one. There was a dark snicker, and I blushed. _God dammit!_

"Lost again, Bella?" Is cold voice sneered. I hadn't known it was possible for any one to sound so... _soulless. _But then I realised that I had, and my mind suddenly transferred back to when I was standing in the woods with Edward... The familiar pain that always appeared whenever I thought of him shocked through my body, numbing my limps. I could barely hear Draco continue his speech.

"Well?" He snapped impatiently. I struggled to unclench my left arm from my torso and re focus my eyes onto his face.

"Err," I let a huge gust of air that I hadn't even been aware of escape from my lungs. "I'm sorry." I apologised, "But what was the question again?" I groaned internally at my momentarily 'pause'. Draco rolled his eyes before glaring at me.

"You know what, just forget it. Goodbye." And off he went, striding away. A mini Lucius in the making. I watched in utter amazement, although why I was amazed I didn't know.


	10. Chapter 7

Another week passed at Malfoy Manor. There was still no improvement with my relationship with Draco. But we did seem to have some kind of unspoken agreement; an _'I'll avoid you if you avoid me, except at meal times where we are practically forced to converse' _agreement.

It appeared that, after my lack of being able to pay attention or give intelligent answers the other week, I wasn't worth the bother of trying to speak to. Nodding to show acknowledgement whenever we passed each other, however, was a good supplement.

Narcissa was very sweet and comforting, it was almost like being at home with my own mother Renee. Of course, Narcissa was a lot more grounded and sensible than Renee, and she seemed to really enjoy my company, much like I did hers.

The first time we properly spoke was, bizarrely, at 3 A.M on Thursday morning. I'd had trouble sleeping; my dream was plagued by images of _his_ face, the woods, the numb state I'd curled up in on the forest floor. Not wanting to go back to sleep and risk waking up everyone in the house with my screaming, I'd ventured to the one place in the huge house that I felt most at peace in; the library.

She was in there already, reading. I slipped in as quietly as I could, trying not to disturb her. Of course, me being me, that didn't actually work. I ended up stumbling over the leg of cabinet, cursing my terrible co-ordination. Narcissa jolted up from her book, her face a picture of shock that soon dissolved into a warm smile. She looked at the clock next to her and jumped, almost as if she hadn't realised what the time was. She probably hadn't; getting so into a book that the reality around you fades away is an extremely effortless thing to do.

My cheeks flaming, I mumbled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." I went to turn away and walk out, back to that dark room containing my bed, but her soft voice called me back.

"Bella, honey. I don't bite; you can stay if you want to." She patted the space on the leather sofa next to her. "Come here, I feel as if I haven't spent as much time with you as I should have."

I smiled and nodded, walking to sit beside her. She placed the book down on the coffee table. "So, how are you feeling?" She shot a sly glance at the clock before frowning. "It's a little late - don't you think you should be sleeping?" I looked down, waiting for a moment to answer. It seemed just a little pathetic, you know? Being 17 and having dreams plagued with nightmares over a guy who literally shattered your hand into a thousand pieces. "Missing home?" She prompted. I nodded, trying to ignore the rising lump inside of my throat. I tried to clear it as quietly as I could.

"More so than I imagined," I murmured, but this was more to myself than Narcissa. I don't think she heard completely, anyway, since she only cocked her head to the side in response. I tried to smile, but it didn't fool her and it certainly didn't fool myself.

Narcissa wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a hug, and I found myself sobbing quietly into her shoulder. She gently patted my back in soothing motions;

"Come on, let it all out if you have to. I know this isn't ideal for you, and I'm sorry about that honey, I really am. But this is what your father thinks is best for you. He's doing it for you, sweetheart, not him. I know it seems harsh and cruel right now, but you are going to be thankful for this. Broken hearts are a right pain, but it gets better. I'm always here if you need me for anything, and I mean it. So, lets wipe those tears away, eh?"

I nodded and pulled back, wiping away the tears on my cheeks I did so. Narcissa smiled warmly at me and I couldn't think of a single reason as to why I couldn't like this woman. I was going to make this work, I would stop spending so much time holed up in the solitude of my room and I would get out and socialise with the family. I would make a good impression and have a really good time. If not for myself, I would do it for my father and for Draco's mother. I felt like I couldn't let either of them down, and being a reclused wreck would very much do so.

I had gone back to bed after that and slept peacefully, Narcissa's words of comfort had really helped me.

It was now Saturday morning, and I was doing very well on my self promise. I had taken many walks outside, enjoying the summer air. had even gone down to the stable yard and patted one of the horses. I didn't know which family member he belonged to, but he was very beautiful. Hair as pure as snow with a long mane and tail that trailed after him when he galloped. At least i think it was he, I didn't really check.

Hearing the bell signalling for lunch, I made my way to the dining room after a peaceful session outside observing the blossoming wildife that seemed to be around. I had just sat down when Lucius came in, bearing two sealed envelopes.

"Hello Father," Draco greeted him, his flawless voice sent a shiver down my spine.

"Son, Bella." He nodded at both of us, and I gave a timid smile in response. I watched as he sat at the head of the table and placed the two envelopes beside of him.

The room was positively silent all the way through the meal. Every now and then out of the corner of my eye I would see Draco eyeing the envelopes and then sending a subtle pleading glance at his Father. He probably knew what the contents were and was desperately trying to avoid it, or something. I prentended to be too interested in my food to notice.

After the dishes had been cleared away, Lucius cleared his throat. Passing one of the envelopes to Draco, he began to address me. "Now, Bella, as the summer holidays draw to a close, there is still one matter that we have not yet had the chance to discuss." He paused briefly to pass the second envelope down towards me. "As by law you are required to finish your education, and a spot for you has been secured at Draco's school." By the look Draco's eyes flashed at Lucius, I'm guessing Draco wasn't too thrilled about this. "That envelope contains all the information you will need to know."

I opened the envelope and read the letter, taking note of the train ticket that fell out.

_Dear Miss Swan,_

_ You will be pleased to know that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School for the Gifted and Talented. Term starts on the 1st September and your ticket for the train ride has been enclosed. As you are joining us for your last year only you will still be required to take your final exams at the end of the year, but they shall be modified depending on how you progress through out the year. You will have a choice of three subjects to take along with the core subjects, chose wisely as once chose they are final and __**can not**__ be changed._

_ Upon arrival, please follow the first years so you can be sorted into your house group. You will then be free to go and enjoy the welcome feast with your fellow house mates. During your time here at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. Doing good deeds will earn points for your house, while any rule breaking will lose points. Also enclosed is a list of rules and all the equipment you will need._

_ We look forward to having you join us. Enjoy the rest of the summer holidays,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore,_

_Headmaster._

I frowned, it was a boarding school. I wasn't gifted, and I sure as hell wasn't talented. I didn't belong there. "But sir, I'm not gifted or-" Lucius held his hand up, silencing me.

"Do not worry yourself, it has all been taken care of. Your equipment has also been gathered, all thats left to do is to get your uniform fitted. Narcissa will take you tomorrow." The women in question nodded encouragingly at me adn I took a deep breath and mustered up the best smile I could.

"Okay, fine." Lucius seemed to be satisfied with my answer.

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The 1st of September rolled around faster than I expected and soon I was walking through King's Cross Station in London towards Platform 9, ready to start school for the year. For the past week Narcissa had been telling me all sorts of stories about the place, that it was a castle somewhere up in Scotland and the four houses were very competitive when it came to sporting events. She had very much enjoyed her years there as a teenager and was certain that I would too. I could only nod, for fear of my voice betraying the terror I actually felt about this. I had spoken to Charlie this morning, to find out he had sent some money to the school for me to collect.

Before getting onto the train I noticed many people seemed wary of Draco, and stayed well clear of the Malfoy family. I recieved quite a few odd looks as Narcissa kissed my cheeks goodbye and Lucius gave me a slightly awkward hug.

On board the train, Draco stayed only to help me find a compartment. "Here." He said, sliding an empty compartment door open. I went inside there and sat down, placing my trunk on the shelf above. "I'm going to go find my friends, goodbye." And he walked out, not even giving me a chance to respond. I frowned, so I was going to be alone for the whole journey. Great.

Taking advantage of the fact I had the whole compartment to myself, I kicked my shoes off and placed my feet on the chair beside me, curling into the corner and getting out my Hogwarts: A History book, determined to learn something true about the school before I actually set foot inside. About 10 minutes later there was a knock on the door, and I looked up to see three people stood there nervously. The girl cleared her throat.

"Hello," She said, tucking her bushy brown hair behind her ear. "I'm Hermione. This is Ron and this is Harry." Hermione told me, pointing at the two boys behind her.

"Hi." I said, closing my book. I looked up at them, waiting.

"Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full." I shook my head, motioning to the seats opposite.

"Thanks." The three of them sat down, staring at me now. I swallowed.

"Errr... I'm Bella, it's nice to meet you." I smiled, sitting up properly in the seat.

The next couple of minutes passed in silence.

The ginger one, Ron I think, spoke first. "So, Bella, what year are you in? I haven't seen you before." I thought for a moment, I wasn't actually usre who the years operated here.

"Last. That's seventh, right?" He nodded, and I saw Hermione roll her eyes. "And I've only just joined." Harry replied this time and I noticed he had rather odd glasses.

"I didn't think they let students just join-"

"They _don't_." Hermione cut in impatiently, looking me up and down. "Why are you here?" I was baffled, was she seriously being this rude? Ron glared at her,

"Ignore her, she's just an insufferable know it all." _Smack. _Hermione had hit him across the back of his head with a rolled up newspaper. I bit back a giggle. Then all pairs of eys were on me. They were still expecting an answer to Hermione's question.

"Erm," I shifted uncomfortably under the sudden scrutinization. What was I supposed to say? "I'm not sure why I'm here, honestly." Honesty is the Best Policy. "I'm not sure what Lucius did, but he said it was all taken care of, so..." I just shrugged.

"Lucius Malfoy? As in Draco's father?" Harry asked incredulously, his eyes growing wide. They knew Draco?

"Yeah. Do you know Draco?" I watched, confused, as the trio shared several long glances with each other. Hermione spoke, and she seemed very much like the ring leader. Or at least the most informed one.

"We're in Draco's - your year. How come Lucius got you into this school then?" By the end quetion, her voice had turned oddly suspicious. Was there something wrong with the Malfoy's? They had seemed pretty decent to me.

"Well, I've come to live with them, from Forks. They said I needed to carry on education here, and that it would be easier if Draco and I went to the same school." And then Ron asked a question.

"Why did you come over here?" I winced visibly and the three shared another quick glance. I quickly recovered and answered as simply as I could;

"Personal reasons."

The rest of the journey passed slowly. I had half expected them to get up and leave at several times during the journey, but they didn't, instead having their own conversation and occassionally including me.

Shortly before arriving, Hermione instructed us all to get changed into our uniforms. Yeah, she definately had the most authority of the three.

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**I'm not too proud of this chapter, let me know what you all think? Thank you for reading!**


	11. Chapter 8

**Thanks to Amy for helping me decide which house Bella should be placed within, and for the actual house placement ceremony! She's amazing. Also, I am going on holiday on the 9th and I do not get back until the 25th March, sorry about that! It means that there will not be any updates on this story, or any other story of mine for that matter, until I get home. Have patience please, and leave me plenty of reviews to come back to!**

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I walked besides the groundskeeper towards the castle with a herd of first years trailing behind. Their little faces displayed all the terror my stomach currently was, which seemed to do a flip once the looming building came into view. _It's so unfair,_ I thought grumpily, everyone else gets to go up in carriages, and I have totake a _boat _and then _walk_. But then my thoughts turned to sympathy for the groundskeeper, Hagrid he said his name was, and how he has to do this every year on September 1st, whatever the weather.

Hagrid himself was a rather terrifying man. When he first came into view after several shouts of 'FIRS' YEARS, FIRS' YEARS OVE' 'EA.', many students had tried to cower behind one another, and when the ultimately failed, they cowered behind me. He was a large, burly man of easily 6 ft with a thick but easily understood Scottish accent. His long black beard fell in clustered ringletts that ended just below his shoulders, blending in with the wild mane growing around his head. He looked me up and down and I tried very hard to resist the urge to cringe.

"You must be Bella." He grunted. Too scared to speak, I merely nodded. "Welcome ta Hogwarts!" Hagrid had announced cheerfully, before turning around and beckoning us to follow.

The immediate era given from the castle was very much medieval. On the steps outside the castle leading up to the heavily bolted set of double wooden front doors was atleast 4 concrete knights in armour statues that loomed above all of the first years, the tip of their helmets just surpassing Hagrid.

An elderly woman met us in the entrance hall. She wore a long black dress and her grey hair was pinned up in a neat bun on top of her head. "Alrigh' Professor McGonogall, 'ere they are. The Firs' Years." Hagrid announced.

"Thank you, Hagrid." Her voice didn't sound old at all; if anything, it rang out clear as a bell and implied she had quite a bit of authority when it came to students. Hagrid smiled at her before giving us all a cheerful wave and walking off through another set of double doors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, my name is Professor McGonogall. In moments you will be led through to the Great hall and sorted into your house. The four houses are Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has produced many talented and outstanding students, all who have gone on to recieve excellent exam results and fine jobs. Any triumphs will earn you house points, whilst any rule breaking, no matter how small, will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope that each of you will be a credit to which ever house becomes yours.

The sorting ceremony will take place in a few moments in front of the rest of the school, after which you will be seated at your respected table and endure the start of term banquet before following your house Prefects to your common room. Wait here and I shall come and fetch you when you are ready. Miss Swan, follow me."

I gulped. Every head in the room swivveled in my direction, and I gazed at the floor. I looked up to find her waiting paitiently at the edge of the room, her lips pursed together in a firm line. She looked very stern. I quickly walked to join her, but before I got to her side she had taken off again, leaving me to hurry along trying to keep up. She led me to a small chamber on the edge of an large room filled with sounds of people talking. I guessed that was probably the Great Hall.

A frayed and severely worn pointed hat sat on a stool in the middle of the room. The fabric was wrinkled in such a way that I could have swore it had a pair of eyes and a mouth, yet it showed no sign of life. _Of course it wouldn't_, my mind pointed out,_ it's a bloody hat! _I looked at Professor McGonagall. Was I supposed to put it on?

"This," She walked around the stool and placed a fragile hand on the tip of the hat, "is the sorting hat. It is his job to determine which house each student shall be sorted in to. You simply place your hand inside and he will supply you with a tie. The tie will be in the colour that represents your house." She picked up the hat and held it out to me, upside down. I peered inside cautiously. It was empty. I looked at her questioningly; surely she knew it was empty?

Nevertheless, I placed my hand inside. Immediately it felt as if it was submerged in ice cold water. I gasped; how was this possible. I tried to retract my hand, but it was frozen. It started to tingle, and I became afraid. What was happening? My pulse quickened as the seconds ticked by. I counted to 9 before something padded was dropped into my palm and the apparent grip on my hand loosened, enabling me to pull my hand out. I unclenched my knuckle and in it lay a yellow tie. I looked up at Professor McGonagall, utterly confused. I had no idea how any of that was possible. Just as I was about to speak, she put her hand up.

"Hufflepuff. Wait here while I go and collect a Prefect to escort you to your table." I nodded.

This school was really going to creep me out.

She came back minutes later, a boy with dirty blonde hair following her. I hadn't moved from my spot, the tie clutched loosely in my hand. "Mister Macmillan, this is Isabella Swan. She shall be joining your house for the rest of the year." I offered a timid smile at the boy, who simply looked me up and down and then nodded. "Please show her to your table." The boy walked off and I followed, taking a deep breath as we emerged into the Great Hall.

Four long tables filled the space, and I presumed each house sat at a different table. He led me to the closet one, and took a seat next to a boy with dark hair. The girl on the other side of the dark haired boy scooted over, making space for me to sit down. She smiled before resuming her conversation with the girl next to her. I looked at the boy who had escorted me in. I didn't even know his name, I highly doubted I was going to fit in. He looked back at me and then cleared his throat. "Isabella, welcome to Hufflepuff." He guestured along the length of the table. "I'm Ernie, and this is Justin." He motioned to the dark haired boy, who smiled. "Hannah is sat on the other side of you." I turned my head to see the girl who had smiled at me looking at me expectedly.

"Hi," I greeted. "Erm, if you don't mind, please, it- it's just Bella." The girl nodded, and I looked at Ernie to see if he'd heard. He probably hadn't, since he was talking animatedly about something with Justin.

The students suddenly hushed as a man with long grey hair rose from the teachers table and stepped forth to an eagle shaped podium.

"Welcome!" His voice boomed out, and like Professor McGonagall, his old face did not match his young voice. "It is such a pleasure to have you all back here for another tremendous year! With out further ado, please enjoy the sorting Ceremony."

In came Professor McGonagall carrying the sorting hat, followed by the terrified first years. I was suddenly glad that my sorting had taken place privately, since I would have looked rather out of place in amongst those 10 to 11 year olds. The sorting didn't last very long, but I could feel myself getting hungry as it neared the end. After all the students had sat down and the various cheering had subsided, the doors burst open and in came cart loads of food that were placed on each of the tables. It looked delicious, several pieces of meat and vegetables and different drinks were everywhere. The room was filled with a mouth watering aroma. During the meal, I looked up and down the staff table. Some teachers looked as though they were kind, and others... not so much. Hagrid was there, too, which I found rather odd considering he was only a grounds keeper. One teacher seemed to sense my eyes on him, as he looked directly at me, causing me to gulp. His black eyes narrowed and seemed to intensley stare me down and I turned to Justin. "Who's that teacher at the end? The one with the black hair?" Justin didn't bother looking at the table to answer.

"_That's_ Professor Snape. He's horrible; he only favours students in his house. Slytherin. Be careful when in his class, he teaches Chemistry and loves to use absolutely any excuse to take points off or give out detentions." _Slytherin. _Wasn't that the house Draco had said he was in? I looked over to the table wearing green. They were a very unhappy bunch, with many of them looking like thugs. Soon enough I found Draco's blonde hair; it was easily the most bright on the table. He was looking at me. No, not looking. Glaring. My breath caught in my throat. Had I done something wrong? He stopped looking when a girl with black hair that fell just below her shoulders had leaned rather closely next to him. Hannah nudged me.

"That's Draco Malfoy." She whispered, clearly not knowing I knew who he was and that I had been residing with him all summer. "If you're thinking of talking to him, don't. It would be a waste of time. He's a complete ass. He never talks to people outside his house, unless it's to insult them." She raised her nose slightly at the end and turned away; Draco had probably offended her many times. But for what reason, I couldn't tell. She seemed a lovely girl.

The feast ended and I followed Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuff's to the common room. It was the first time I had walked around the castle, and, well, saying it was huge was an understatement. Words couldn't describe how large it felt, and there was no way I would be able to find my way around here easily.

The common room was filled with soft arm chairs and sofas, a fireplace in the centre where flames roared peacefully. Hannah dragged me up the stair case leading towards the girls dormitories, talking at top speed. She seemed to have made it her task to become my friend and help me out. "You'll be rooming with Lizzie, Ashley and I. If you get stuck or need help or anything we'll be here. We're friendly. Most of the time. Just stay away from Liz when she has a red ribbon in her hair. It's a warning that she's in a bad mood." I nodded, taking this all in. She pointed to a bed that had a trunk placed on top. "This is your bed. Well, goodnight!" She clambered into her bed, disappearing behind the curtains.

Opening my trunk, I got out the picture of my father and I and placed it on the bedside table. Getting my pyjamas on, I climbed into bed, pulling the curtains shut. Snuggled up inside the quilt, I sighed, only just managing not to let the tears leak as reailty suddenly came crashing down around me. How on earth had all of this happened? Only months ago I was at home, in Forks, with my dad, with Edward. My chest tightened at his name, and this time I couldn't hold back the tears. I wasn't crying just for him. I was crying for my father. For myself. I had really screwed up. I was thousands of miles from home, from civilization probably, and I was alone.

It was going to be a very long year.


	12. Chapter 9

**New Surroundings**

**Chapter 9 (BPOV)**

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When I woke, with still an hour to go before the alarm was due to go off, the first couple of things that I did was 1) ignore the wet patches on my pillow, 2) rub the dried salt and sleep out of my eyes, and 3) stretch. Like really, really stretch. I could hear my bones snap and crack and pop as my limbs reach out before, behind and to the side of me, sending small taught sensations down my muscles.

It was a pleasant feeling; until I stretched a bit too far and almost pulled a muscle, my arm instantly retracting – not caring what may have been in it's path – and knocking the clock and my photo off of the bedside table.

My fingers desperately scrambled to try and catch the falling items, but to no avail. They cluttered to the floor, my photo luckily not smashing into a gazillion tiny pieces of glittering glass. The clock, however, was not so fortunate.

It didn't break, which was good because it both looked ancient an expensive to fit in with the décor of the dormitory (and the rest of the castle – a very medieval style) and I highly doubted my father or I would be able to neither find nor afford a replacement (the Malfoy's, however; after all, they do virtually live in a miniature castle… and I _did_ hear Lucius was on the school board, or something, which explains my late entrance…) the clock did, though, much to my apparent misfortune, decide that it's collision with the floor was enough for it to cry out.

Loudly. Annoyingly. Screeching.

Sighing, I leaned over the side of my bed to shut the atrocious thing up, before picking it and my unbroken picture up and placing them both back onto my bedside table.

I could hear sheets rustling around the room, and assumed my accidental alarm setting off had awoken my roommates.

Oops. (But really, it was expected. I'd be surprised if they'd slept through that monster. Or if it hadn't woken up the rest of the girls in the common room.)

"Ngh. S'happenin'?" It was Hannah's sleep filled and thick voice, her rising body only slightly visible in the dim room. "Bella? Ashie?"

"Hey," I whispered out, coughing afterwards to clear my throat.

There's more movement to the left of me, and then a feral hiss: "Whoever set their alarm for 6-bloody-AM is going to _pay."_

My eyes widened and I turned slowly to the girl with the warning red ribbon's bed, (Lizzie, my mind supplied), whose face was practically seething. Giving me one last glare, she rolled back over and pulled her quilt up and over her head. Whether she was shielding herself or making a large effort to ignore (and threaten) me, I couldn't tell.

I don't suppose it mattered to her.

"Sorry about that," I said, slightly louder so Ashley and Hannah could hear me. I'm a klutz. Knocked the clock off the nightstand. Total accident."

"It's okay," Hannah yawned, a cute little yipping sound coming out of her mouth as she did so. "We've all made that mistake at least once." I could see her slide off the side of her bed, slipping into a pair of yellow slippers. They had badgers embroidered on the side, and I idly wondered if they were school issued – and if not, where I could get a pair.

I wasn't really one fore cute stuff, but I could be patriotic to my school, as a symbol of hope.

Hope for a new and better life, from here on out.

Plus, badgers are pretty bad ass – have you ever seen a honey badge? If they were in the Lion King, that film would have had to have been renamed. Sorry, Simba, but a Honey Badger would have easily taken over the pride. But, sadly, the Honey Badger King doesn't quite have the same ring to it…

Hannah shuffled her way over to the main light switch, flipping it on. My eyes took a couple of seconds and a lot of rapid blinking to adjust, and there were a couple more groans around the room – mainly from Lizzie, who I could see was still glaring at me.

"May as well just get up since we're awake," Hannah was saying, stretching and throwing on a pale yellow dressing grown, again with a badger on the hood.

No wonder she was a prefect; her dedication to Hogwarts as a school and Hufflepuff as a house? Unknockable.

"'m going down common room. Anyone coming?" She asked the room.

There were a couple of grunts in response, which I assumed were supposed to be 'no's, before I answered her.

"I'll come." I said, clambering out of bed.

I had a dressing gown, a present from Narcissa – but I didn't feel like wearing it just yet. It seemed too, I don't know, fancy? So I stayed in just my cotton pants and old t-shirt, a worn one of my father's that he had kept in his youth. It was a black (though now faded to a dusty grey) AC/DC shirt, from their 1980-81 Back in Black tour.

I wasn't even a fan of AC/DC, having only heard one of their songs.

The common room, weirdly, wasn't deserted. A few kids littered around, huddled in corners in their pyjamas.

Some were even sleeping!

I guessed they'd just been too tired to go to their rooms, or had been too excited meeting new people and catching up with old friends, that they'd just fell asleep there, as many were still in the clothes that thy arrived in.

At least somebody had been kind enough to cover them in a (Hufflepuff themed, badger embroidered!) blanket – one that was definitely school issued, which made me thing that Hannah's ensemble probably was, too.

By the time breakfast hour rolled around, I had showered, dressed and was ready for my first school day.

Oh, joy.

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***waves awkwardly***

**So, long time no see, huh? This week I'm taking down the beginning chapters and replacing them.**

**The content won't change, (other than correcting spelling and grammar mistakes) I'm just re formatting them.**


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